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New Sheets from Buckingham
Two new sheets planned for later this year (we are guessing at April
but could be earlier) have been revealed in Buckingham's on-line Cover
Lover magazine, well worth a read if you like souvenir covers.
The Centenary of Scott's Antarctic Expedition is the theme
behind the first of these two sheets, we like the background but we think
the labels are unimaginative to say the least. Given that Herbert
Ponting, the official expedition photographer, died in 1935 copyright in
his wonderful
photographs should have lapsed 70 years later in 2005. Would these,
perhaps. not have made better subjects as labels?
The second sheet unveiled today celebrates 2012 Rail Anniversaries
- yet another sheet in Buckingham's long list of Railway heritage sheets -
we know these are popular amongst cover and thematic collectors but
perhaps a tad disappointing if railways don't float your boat!
That said, they are both beautifully designed sheets and a tribute to
Tony and Cath's hard-working team. Which brings me nicely to the
final bit of news for Smiler's collectors - for the first time in one
document, an on-line sales catalogue of Buckingham's
Business Customised Stamp Sheets, which should help collectors, old
and new, to quickly find and identify the many splendid sheets on offer.
(23/01)
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Happy New Year
A happy New Year to all our readers and Smilers Collectors everywhere.
Now that the excesses of the season are behind us and we have started shedding
those extra pounds, thoughts turn to our collections and its that time of
the year when we make all sorts of promises to ourselves that we have no
intention of keeping.
Mine was to be more diligent and update this website more regularly but
as you can see I have already failed. The problem is that until I decide
to hang up my boots (and I came very close at the end of last year,
believe me!) it can be difficult to find that extra hour to update the
site. (22/01)
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New business sheets for 2012
A clutch of new "business" sheets have been announced and/or
issued since we updated the last Smilers News so let us start the New Year
by bringing you up to date with these new issues.
First out of the block for 2012 is what we hear may be the last sheet
from Planet Prints Stamps for a while. The Big Lemon bus
company is a Brighton based local bus and coach hire company providing
distinctive services in the Brighton area and this sheet is a fitting
tribute and exemplifies what the Royal Mail Business Sheet service should
be used for - please no more Railway Tunnels!
Planet Prints Stamps, like us, have noticed a drop off in market
interest for these sheets due a combination of factors not least of which
has to do with the economy and reduction in disposable income that most
folks are facing. Let's hope the economy picks up in 2012 as it would be
shame to see such creative and interesting sheets disappear for too long.
If interested in buying one of these limited printing of 100 sheets (£125
each) please contact Planet Print-Stamps Ltd. at www.planetprints.com.
Next we have a sheet from the Bradbury stable celebrating Love, Romance
and St. Valentine's Day. Issued earlier this month, this sheet is
available for purchase from www.smilers.com
at £35 a sheet.
Not yet issued but announced are two sheets from Buckingham Covers,
both with a nautical theme. The first commemorates the centenary of the
sinking of RMS Titanic in 1912 whilst the other, due out later this year,
commemorates the 175th Anniversary of P&O shipping, an
appropriate theme for the business customised stamp sheet product from Royal Mail. (22/01)
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For Your Eyes Only - New Commemorative Sheet from Royal
Mail
Whilst no official details of this sheet have been released we spotted
a competition run by Royal
Mail inviting the public to choose the label designs for a new Commemorative
Stamp Sheet, to be issued c. 1st May 2012 celebrating the 50th Anniversary
of the James Bond movies.
A selection of bond posters are illustrated and the public are requested
to choose their 10 most favoured designs (we thought the above most appropriate!?)
to appear on labels to be printed adjacent to the Union Flag Smilers
stamp, in what looks to be a complete rip-off of the idea that George
Kriesler used for a clutch of overprinted themed sheets featuring the very
same movie posters.
Is there anyone left at Royal Mail with a creative spark that can come
up with an original idea that will keep us coming back for more? I just despair
at the current creative team and at their apparent ignorance of their own
stated policies.
When these commemorative sheets first appeared in 2008 we were told
that they would be used to commemorate significant anniversaries of
national importance that did not quite make it into the stamp issuing
programme. Last year we saw this format used to promote the Olympic Games
- not an anniversary but at least a significant event of national
interest. Now we hear that will use this format be used to promote
the 50th anniversary of the first James Bond film - hardly a significant
anniversary and certainly not of national interest!
Does this strike a cord? if so have your say at the Smilers-Info
Blog! (22/01)
Business Customised Sheets - have they had their day?
I don't know about you but have you noticed the dramatic decline in
business sheet issues recently? Not a bad thing given the average price
of these sheets, but a dramatic decline nevertheless.
John Vincent has been taking a look at these issues over the Christmas
break and came up with some interesting facts. There have been around 360
different sheets issued in the ten year period since they first appeared
in 2002, an average of 36 per year and that, coincidently, was the exact number of
sheets issued in 2011. Perhaps sheet producers have found a new level at which
their products are sustainable.
However 36 sheets is less than half the number of sheets in 2009 - a
clear message from the buying public perhaps. At an average price of c.
£30 per sheet you will still need to spend c. £1,000 a year to maintain
your collection of these sheets. In the current economic climate how many
of us can afford to do this?
Now you may think this is strange coming from a bunch of folks who have
an interest in promoting these sheets but sadly I do think the damage has
already been done - the only folks who can afford to speculate and produce
these sheets are the cover producers who, in addition to selling say
between 50-150 sheets per issue (there cannot be more than say 150 serious
collectors left collecting these issues) use these stamp/labels
combinations to increase their product range/sales of commemorative
covers. In our opinion the writing is one the wall. I will be surprised if
we reach 30 this year. (22/01)
